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New police bike patrol catches vandals in the act The bike patrol is proving to be highly effective. It's been dispatched six times since July 4. Officers have made 22 arrests and have spoken with 78 residents, answering questions and offering advice. The Moorpark Police Bicycle Team arrested four juveniles and a 20-year-old Moorpark man in connection with graffiti incidents at two locations on Aug. 24. At about 6 p.m. officers spotted three individuals trespassing after business hours on Performance Nursery property in the 12700 block of Tierra Rejada Road just south of Villa Campasina Park. The vandals were inside the nursery near large storage containers that are frequently vandalized with graffiti. The three young men ran from police, but two, both juveniles, were soon apprehended by the officers. One of the two was on active probation for vandalism and possession of a deadly weapon and the other had been arrested recently for being in possession of graffiti tools. Both were cited and released to their parents. At about 9 p.m. the bike team saw three people vandalizing a bridge connecting Villa Campesina Park and Arroyo Vista Park at 4704 Leta Yancy Road. The culprits included the juvenile who had fled the scene of the earlier incident. The three allegedly spray-painted the bridge and portions of Performance Nursery with their tagging crew initials and monikers. Monikers are the names associated with individuals of tagging crews. The investigation and interviews with the three suspects led to information that solved eight pending vandalism cases in which the three were directly involved, according to authorities. The suspects were cited for misdemeanor vandalism and released. Two were juveniles, who were released to their parents. The third tagger, Christopher Angel Campos, 20, was released on his promise to appear in court. Because early estimates point to at least $1,500 in damages at the nursery, the misdemeanor charges may change to felony charges, according to Senior Dep. Robert Berger. Since it was formed on July 4, the bike patrol has gone out six times and made 22 arrests. "This is a parttime team composed of officers who volunteer to work on the overtime assignment," said Berger, who organized the patrol. "Every single time the patrol has gone out, they've caught people." While they're out on bicycles, officers also take time to speak with residents about their concerns and to provide advice. "A lot of things affect quality of life that can be addressed on the spot," said Berger. |
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